Illustrated by Asa Montenejo
Patricia Sy Gomez wins
2025 PBBY-Salanga Grand Prize for Chapter Books
The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) awards this year’s PBBY-Salanga Grand Prize to Patricia Sy Gomez for her story, Three Thimbles. Inspired by the women who sewed the first flag of the Philippine Republic, this story brings their quiet act of resistance to life.
PBBY also recognizes Honorable Mention winner, Maria Carlizza “Arli” C. Pagaduan for her story about the Culion Leper Colony, Carmel’s Hands.
The winners will be awarded at the 42nd National Children’s Book Day celebration on July 15, 2025.
Established in 1984, the PBBY-Salanga Prize for writers (formerly known as the PBBY Writers’ Prize) is an annual competition on the best stories written for children in either English or Filipino. The award was renamed to honor the memory of Alfrredo Navarro Salanga, a founding member of PBBY and a revered journalist, fictionist, poet, and editor.
Each year, the winning story becomes the subject of competition for the PBBY-Alcala Prize for illustrators.
Through the Salanga Prize, the PBBY encourages the creation of original stories intended for the Filipino child. To date, 33 children’s stories have won the Salanga grand prize and almost a hundred stories are on its honor list. The contest has led to the publication of well-loved Philippine children’s classics such as Bru-ha-ha-ha, Bru-hi-hi-hi (Corazon Remigio); Chenelyn! Chenelyn! (Rhandee Garlitos); and Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel (Luis Gatmaitan).
The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Library of the Philippines (NLP).
